


You're the One That I Want

by tockwhoticks



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Destiny, Drink to Forget, Eventual relationship, High School AU, M/M, Night Vale High, Scout Master, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-01-23 21:38:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tockwhoticks/pseuds/tockwhoticks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yep, it's a Night Vale High School AU, featuring a love-struck Cecil and his best mate Dana, her jerk of a boyfriend Steve Carlsberg, a seemingly oblivious Carlos, and an increasingly more and more desperate Earl Harlan. </p>
<p>Enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which Carlos First Appears, Earl Want to Talk to Cecil and Cecil Takes a Senior English Class

Cecil saw him first outside one of the math classrooms, backpack positioned on both shoulders, plaid shirt stretched over dark skin, big brown eyes… _oh_ , and that _hair_. It made him want to run over to him and run his fingers through it; it took almost all of his strength to stop himself. _Behave yourself, Cecil_ , he reprimanded. _Maybe the time will come later._ For now, the boy was standing straight backed by the wall while the other students bustled along in front of him, watching them with a kind of bemused disinterest at their back to school antics.

 

Dana nudged him and winked. “Whatcha staring at?”

 

“Nothing,” Cecil said, too quickly.

 

“He doesn’t _look_ like nothing,” Dana laughed. There was a pause while they both observed the boy. “He’s cute,” she finally said. “You should go say hi.”

 

“Right now?”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Class is gunna start in a minute. I don’t want to be late on the first day back.”

 

“Okay,” Dana said, raising her eyebrows. “That never bothered you before.”

 

“I want to make a good impression.”

 

Dana laughed. “Okay. And Cecil, Earl says –”

 

The first bell rang, and Cecil darted away, calling out a hurried farewell to his best friend. When he turned to look for the other boy, he found he had disappeared into the classroom.

 

 

***

 

Cecil didn’t see the other boy again until third period, where, as luck would have it, they were in the same English class; he must be a senior. The boy sat himself at the front of the classroom and put his bag carefully on the ground in front of him before looking cautiously at the students who had positioned themselves around him – he was shooting glancing at one girl, Six-Armed Mandy, in particular. It made Cecil bristle, but then again, it was _probably_ nothing. Probably nothing at all.

 

Cecil watched him until the teacher – Mr Wallis – arrived and stood at the front of the room, transmitting a high pitched buzzing sound into each of the students’ heads that got increasingly louder and higher until there was silence. Cecil snuck another glance at the boy, whose face was now scrunched in pain; Cecil felt sorry for him: it was always tough the first time, but you got used to it eventually.

 

“Welcome back,” Mr Wallis said, with that fake cheeriness all teachers have at the beginning of a new school year when they discover that, yet again, not all of their students have had the misfortune to be sucked into the void, never to be seen again. “I recognize most of you, but –” he looked at the boy and smiled “it seems as if we have a new student.”

 

“Yeah,” the boy said, and Cecil wanted to bathe in his smooth, oaky tones. Could the boy get any more perfect? “I’m new. I… I just got here a few days ago.”

 

“Really? Where from?”

 

One of the boys at the back of the room – Cecil couldn’t tell which; he wasn’t really on first name terms with any of them – snickered and murmured “isn’t it obvious?” but Mr Wallis either didn’t hear, ignored him or was unaware of the implications.

 

“Dallas,” the boy said. His voice was low and unaccented.

 

“Lovely,” he said. “And your name is?”

 

“Oh,” the boy said, “Carlos.”

 

 _Carlos_. Why did everything about this boy have to be so perfect, from his face, to his _hair_ to his voice, even down to his name? He was probably straight. No, he was definitely straight. He was straight, and Cecil had better get over this crush _right now_ before he got seriously hurt.

 

 _But that hair_.

 

“And I understand that we have a sophomore taking my senior English class. Who would that be?”

 

Mr Wallis looked around expectantly, and when no one said anything Cecil realised that _oh, he means me_ and put his hand up.

 

“Welcome!” Mr Wallis exclaimed. “I hope we won’t be too frightening for you… Cecil, was it?”  


Cecil nodded. The boy – Carlos – was looking at him. He was _looking_ at him. Well, so was most of the class, but they didn’t matter. Only Carlos mattered. _Carlos_.

 

   Cecil was lost in a dream until the end of the lesson.

 

                                                            ***

 

Cecil hurried to his car after school, keeping his head down to keep the rain out of his eyes; he had tried out his new purple eye shadow today and no way did he want it to run all the way down his face. The parking lot was almost empty by now: he had stayed late to talk to one of the office ladies about the morning announcement and now he was half an hour later than the other students in getting out.

 

   Arriving at his car, he pushed his light blonde hair out of his eyes and looked around.

 

There was another figure making its way towards him through the rain, a soaking, jean-clad mess. Cecil squinted and made out a sharp nose and fiery hair –

 

Oh.

 

Oh no. No. _No_. Not now, not today.

 

“Cecil!” the figure yelled. “Ceec, I need to talk to you.”

 

“Not now, Earl,” he yelled back. “I need to get home; I’ve got a ton of homework for tomorrow.”

 

“ _Cecil_ ,” Earl said, reaching him and bending over, panting. He put one hand on the hood of Cecil’s car for support. “Come on, Ceec.”

 

He had grown over the summer. He was at least six feet tall now, towering over Cecil’s modest five foot six. His chest was bigger too, wider; probably from all the training he’d done over the summer to get ready for his position as scoutmaster, which he’d be taking in a few years. His red hair had almost gotten brighter, if that was possible, and it took most of Cecil’s strength to stop himself from reaching forward and wrapping his fingers through it, from pressing his mouth against the other boy’s –

 

No. He had decided not to. Not anymore, they weren’t going to do that kind of stuff. Not after what had happened.

 

The anger was coming back now in full force.

 

“Get out of my way, Earl,” Cecil said. “I’m done with you.”

 

“ _Cecil_ , come on!”

 

He pulled open the door and sat down in the driver’s seat before locking the door behind him. He rolled down the window partway. “Get out of the way, Earl. I need to go home.”

 

“Cecil, come on. Dana said she’d talk to you, but I needed to see you myself. Please, Ceec?”

 

“Get _out of my way._ I’m done with you and I’m going home!” he yelled, and reversed out of the parking spot.  

 

He didn’t look back at Earl, a forlorn figure, left standing soaking wet in Night Vale High’s parking lot, his red hair slicked from the rain and his shirt clinging to his chest. He didn’t think of what could of happened of if he had just stayed, if he’d never found out; or, at least, he tried not to.

 

 

 

 

                                                            ***

 

The next day he didn’t think about Earl.

 

Instead, he gushed to Dana about Carlos and his perfect hair and perfect voice and perfect name…

 

“There he is,” Dana yelped, grabbing Cecil’s arm and pointing.

 

“Not so loud,” Cecil hissed as he watched him made his way to one of the lunch tables, tray in hand.

 

“Aw, he’s sitting by himself,” Dana said. Then, standing up suddenly, “Let’s go say hi.”

 

“No!” Cecil said, but Dana had already grabbed hold of his sleeve and dragged him half way across the cafeteria. “No. Dana, _no_.”

 

Dana reached Carlos’s table and sat down, pulling Cecil down next to her.

 

“Hey,” she said with a smile. “I’m Dana. This is Cecil. Just wanted to say hi.”

 

Carlos swallowed a bite of his sandwich. “Um. Okay. Hi.”

 

Cecil shot daggers at Dana. She was going to pay for this later.   


	2. In Which Carlos is Spoken to and Cecil Gets Some Exciting News

“We just wanted to see how you were doing, if you were settling in okay, you know, what kind of stuff,” Dana said, leaning forward in her chair. “What did you say your name was again?”

“Carlos,” Carlos said in his perfect voice. 

“I’m Cecil,” Cecil said, and Carlos laughed awkwardly and said, “I know.”

Dana smiled as if to say well, isn’t this nice and then lifted up one of her dark arms to look at her silver watch. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Is that the time? Looks like I gotta go, Ceec.” Her silver bangles jingled as she ruffled Cecil’s short blonde hair as a way of farewell and then hurried off, winking at him as she went. 

Cecil sighed. Now that he was alone with Carlos, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to kill his best friend or kiss her. Instead, he looked at Carlos and tried to smile, but it felt weird. This was weird. Carlos probably thought that he was weird. 

“So,” Carlos said finally. “Was that your girlfriend?”

“What?” Cecil barked out a laugh. “No. No. Oh, Gods, no. She’s just a friend.”

“Uh-huh,” Carlos said, raising his eyebrows almost teasingly.

“Girls aren’t really my forte,” Cecil said with what he hoped was a flirtatious smile. It had worked on Earl. 

“Oh,” Carlos said, cheeks colouring. “Sorry. Didn’t know. Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologise,” Cecil said. “Happens all the time.”

That was a lie; it hardly ever happened after he had dated Earl, but if it made Carlos feel better, it was a lie that he would gladly tell. 

“So, um… You’re in my English class, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Cecil said.

“But you’re a sophomore?” 

“Oh, yeah; I need to take advanced classes for when I take over from Leonard at the radio station, to be ready for writing the broadcasts and that. It could happen at any time – one should always be prepared.” 

“Leonard’s the guy who does that show in the evenings, right? Announcements about the town and stuff?”

“Yeah,” Cecil nodded happily. 

“And you’re taking over from him? What, did you audition or something?” Carlos looked so cute when he was confused. Cecil added it to his collection of adorable faces Carlos made. 

“The prophecy,” Cecil said grandly.

“The prophecy?”

“Down at town hall?” Cecil prompted.

Carlos nodded slowly. “Right…” He looked around awkwardly. “So, how does a fifteen year old have so many tattoos?” he changed the subject gracefully.

Cecil looked down at his arms at the black ink patterns that run up and down his arms, licked at the top of his neck and swooped down to his ankles. Most of them didn’t move anymore, but a few were known to be stubborn. “They just come as they like,” Cecil said. “When something happens, or...”

He opened his mouth to say more, but as he did, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Carlos sprang up, picking up his tray as he did so. “See you in English, Cecil. Or around, I guess,” he called as he headed towards the doors.

It was all Cecil could do to keep from swooning. 

 

***

Cecil had math last period. It was the only class he still had with Earl, but it didn’t even bother him, because he was over Earl. And he wasn’t looking at the way the sunlight from the high windows – barred after an incident with the science specimens two years ago – bounced off his hair. He didn’t even like Earl’s hair as much as he liked Carlos’s hair, anyways.

Besides, he only got halfway through the class before his name came on over the loud speaker and he was called to the office.

Ms Jacobson looked at him worriedly from the front of the room where she was writing on the black board. “Be back soon, okay? This will be on the final.”

Cecil nodded and reassured her that he’d be quick as he made his way out of the classroom and down the hallway to the office. He knocked lightly on the barred door before pushing it slowly open. The office lady, Ms Briar, was sitting behind her desk. She had a beehive of blonde curls and was at last as wide as she was tall, but she made it work; she had shown Cecil some of her dress sketches last year, and she might even be better than Dana, he had to admit, and she had won the Night Vale Artist of the Year award three years running.

“Cecil,” Ms Briar said warmly, looking up from her work. “It’s so good to see you, honey. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great, thanks,” Cecil said. “You look lovely, today.”

“Thank you, Cecil,” she said with a smile. “I made this dress specially for the first week back.” 

“It’s lovely,” he replied. “Anyway,” Cecil walked over to the desk, “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes,” she said, beaming. “We’ve got some very exciting news for you.”

Cecil smiled expectantly. 

“You’re going to be taking over from Leonard at the radio station any time now, so we thought that it would be good for you to get some practise, by doing the morning announcements. Would you like that?”

“What?” he asked. “Are you serious?”

“It’s nothing big,” she went on, “Just, what’s going on today, if there are any special events, whatever’s happening with the vending machine. Things like that. We’d have some kind of script for you, starting next week, but you don’t have to stick to it – it’s just an outline.” 

“Ms Briar,” Cecil said, “I could kiss you.”

She laughed. “You’re a charmer, Cecil, but I’d keep all that for your boy scout friend.”

The smile froze on Cecil’s face. “Yeah, that’s not… We’re not a thing any more.”

“Oh,” she said. “Oh, well that’s a shame, Cecil.” There was a silence. “Are you… All right? After the thing with the Void?”

“Yeah,” Cecil said quickly, “I’m fine.”

“We were all just so worried for those three months, Cecil. And if Earl expressed that worry in a way that was… different than the others, I wouldn’t hold it against him for very long,” she said, smiling sadly. “We’re just glad you came back, Cecil. I’m sure Earl is, too.”

“Thanks, Ms Briar,” Cecil said. “So, I start Monday?”

“Yes. Be in the office by quarter to eight, if you can,” she said.

As Cecil turned to leave, she called out, “Give my love to your mother and brother.”

“I will,” Cecil said over his shoulder. “I will.”


	3. In Which There is a Fight and Cecil Goes to the Office

Most of the town knew about Cecil’s mother and brother but Ms Briar didn’t exactly keep up with the local gossip, Cecil was guessing. Still, it was weird that she wouldn’t have noticed that his brother was no long enrolled at the school. Or maybe she had only said it out of habit. You never knew with her.  

He tried to brush it off. These things happened in Night Vale; it wouldn’t do to let them get to him. It was just something he would have to get used to. Sometimes people disappeared. Sometimes snakes, or Spider Wolves ate them. Sometimes they were sucked into the Void and an eternal and all encompassing darkness and you got back shaking and terrified and _alone_ after what felt like an eternity but was only three months but _you had to get used to it_ because _these things happen_.

He ducked into a bathroom – the one that hadn’tbeen blocked off for most of last year for unexplained reasons and still occasionally let a haze of purple smoke leak out from under the metal door – and stood in front of the sink. He splashed water on his face and brushed back his hair. Looking towards the future. That was what he should do. Forget the past and look to the future. Forget, forget, forget.

It was already two-thirty by the time Cecil left the bathroom and so he decided to skive off the last ten minutes and go home early. He just wanted to go to bed and sleep for a very, very long time.

 

***

 

Earl didn’t try and speak to Cecil again for the rest of the week. Cecil wouldn’t admit, even to himself, that he was a little bit disappointed. He had always been a drama queen and the fact that Earl might be over him already stung more than he wanted to admit.

Dana caught him staring during lunch that Thursday and nudged him.

“He still wants to talk to you, Ceec.”

“I don’t care,” he looked away hurriedly.

“You obviously do or you wouldn’t still be staring at him like the sun shines out of his ass.”

Cecil blushed. “I do _not_.”

She shrugged and turned back to her meatloaf (whatever the meat _was_ , exactly, Cecil had yet to identify. He was leaning towards spider, but apparently the feral unibeast population was running low in the forest nearby, which was something to consider). “Suit yourself. But you have his number.”

“I don’t. I deleted it.” This was a lie.

“Fine,” Dana said. “But you can’t avoid him forever.”

Cecil turned back to his meal. Definitely something spider. Wolf? Bear? He was so occupied that he didn’t notice the scene unfolding in front of his lunch table until Dana stood up, her tray banging onto the floor. He could tell from her face that she was furious.

“Go back to Mexico, Brown Boy!” it was Steve Carlsberg. _Of course_ it was Steve Carlsberg because what pleasant scene such as this one _didn’t_ involve Steve Carlsberg.

“I _told you_ ,” Carlos was saying, his hands held up as though he was surrendering. “I’m from _Dallas_. Dallas in _Texas_.”

“I don’t give a shit but we don’t want you _here_.”

“Leave him alone, Steve,” Dana said, her voice shaking. The lunchroom had gone silent.

“Stay out of this, babe,” Steve said, dismissing her with a flick of his hand. He stepped forwards into Carlos’s space and pointed at his bag, the one he carried with him everywhere. “What’s in that, huh? Why d’you need this with you all the time? Give it here.”

“Books,” Carlos said. “School books. Text books. Pens.”

“Lemme see.”

Just as Steve reached out a hand to grab the bag off of Carlos’s beautiful shoulders, Cecil had dived across the lunch table sending trays flying and had Steve pinned on the floor. “ _Leave him alone_!” he yelled.

Mr Ruckus, the Maths teacher, chose this particular moment to sliver into the lunchroom and see the students gathered around a blur on the floor. As he got closer he saw that it was that Cecil, the prophesised radio host that the whole town was buzzing about, launching punch after punch into another boy that it took him a moment to identify as Steve Carlsberg. All twenty feet of his body shook with anger as he bellowed: “Principal’s office! Now!”

Cecil started at the sound of Mr Ruckus’s voice and looked around, amazed. He hadn’t even felt himself move.

 

***

 

The Principal’s Office was a recurring joke among the students of Night Vale High because going to the Principal’s Office meant that you were seeing Ms Briar. No one had ever _actually_ seen The Principal. You knew that he existed because of the dense black smudge that lined the walls and floor of every room he entered but other than that, The Principal left no proof that he was anything other than a rumour.

Sure enough, Ms Briar was waiting for the boys, pacing agitatedly about the room and muttering under her breath.

“Really, Cecil!” she exclaimed when he entered. “I expected better of you!” Her disappointed was worse than any anger. “Where’s Steve?”

“Nurse’s office.”

She tutted. “You really did him one.”

“It wasn’t my fault!”

“No?”

“He was saying things about Carlos! He was going to take his bag! He told him to go back to Mexico!” he exploded.

“Carlos?” she frowned.

“He’s new.”

“Is he… from Mexico?”

“No!” Cecil said. “He’s from _Dallas_.”

Ms Briar frowned, confused. “So what you’re saying is that you were provoked?”

“Yes! By _Steve Carlsberg_. He’s a racist git!”

“ _Cecil!_ ”

Cecil blushed. “Sorry.” He hesitated. “I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t even know it was happening until it was over.”

Realisation flickered across Ms Briar’s face as she put two and two together and made twenty-five. “Cecil. This isn’t about Earl, is it? I know after what happened, and now you two aren’t together any more, this isn’t to get back at him?”

“What? _No_.”

“Because… I don’t know how it would hold up with the rest of the staff but, if it was, I would understand.”

“No,” Cecil said. “This is about Carlos. And Steve. Being racist. And a bully.”

“Okay,” she sighed and slunk down into her chair. “Go back to class, Ceec, before Steve gets here.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't write for a _very_ long time and I am so, so, so sorry.
> 
> As always, I am on tumblr. Find me [here](http://tockwhoticks.tumblr.com/) if you like blogs, or the internet, or things. 
> 
> I like things.


	4. In Which Cecil Leaves School Early and Finds Someone Waiting for Him, Cecil and Carlos Go to the Moon-lite All-Nite Diner, We Meet Old Woman Josie and Have a Discussion About the Void

Cecil didn’t bother going to his last two lessons. Instead, he headed out of the school building through one of the back doors and towards his car, which he had parked out of habit on the far side of the parking lot. He and Earl had frequented the spot in their early days of dating. As he approached, he was surprised to find someone already standing there, their back to him, pacing as if they were nervous. As he drew nearer, he identified the figure by their perfect thick, brown curls and felt the butterflies begin to soar in his stomach.

“Hi,” he said. 

Carlos turned around, startled. “Hey.”

They stared at each other for a moment. “This… this is my car,” Cecil said unnecessarily.

“I know.” Carlos was swinging his left foot in the air. Was he nervous? Nervous about talking to _Cecil_? God, he was perfect even when he wasn’t. “I wanted to say thanks for the dining hall thing. And also that you didn’t have to do that.”

Cecil blushed. “I was just lending a helping hand.”

“I know,” Carlos said, his voice changing suddenly. “I know. You did. But you put yourself at risk. Don’t do that for me.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Cecil said defensively. “I mean, I would have done it anyways. But I didn’t _mean to_.”

Carlos didn’t seem to be listening. “ _Why_ did you do that for me?”

“I don’t know,” Cecil lied. _Because you’re perfect? Because Steve Carlsberg is a jerk? Because you deserve better than that? Because I have an embarrassingly big crush on you?_

“You don’t even know me.”

Even though the words were true, they still stung. “I’d like to.” 

The words hung uncertainly in the air, unanswered, until another thought occurred to Carlos. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Shouldn’t you?”

“Touché.”

Cecil looked around nervously – he had heard the rumours about what happened to students caught trying to skip class. “Look, I’m gonna head before they catch us here. You can… come with me? If you like?”

Carlos seemed to consider for a moment before giving an adorable half shrug. “Sure. Why not?”

 

***

 

Cecil drove carefully to the Moonlite All-Nite Diner, shooting periodic glances at Carlos, who was frowning an adorable frown at the radio, which despite his button pushing refused to play anything other than one jazz station, and static. Obviously he hadn't taken the Radio Operation class down at Town Hall - Cecil should mention that to him later: future Voice of Night Vale after all.

He shot another glance; Cecil hadn't know before now that frowns could be cute.

He couldn’t believe it. Carlos, dreamy, beautiful, _perfect_ Carlos was _here_. In _Cecil’s_ car. It was like a dream come true.

He parked and went round to open Carlos’s door for him. Carlos snorted but he looked almost flattered. Cecil had always been flattered when Earl did it for him.

_Earl_. 

He tried not to think about the times he had spent in this parking lot with Earl, most of them way after the sun had set and the Secret Police Officer stationed in the nearby bush, Gregory, had been paid off by Earl, who received a generous amount of pay from the Scouts considering the dangers of his role. There were other perks to it as well: the uniform was dangerously attractive, _especially_ on Earl with his muscles and his –

Cecil pulled himself out of those thoughts quickly but he knew he was blushing.

There were banners hung up outside the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex next-door advertising a tournament there the next week. Old Woman Josie was standing beneath one of them with a handful of fliers, but of who she was meant to be handing them to Cecil was unsure. Few people came along this road at this time of day: there was a lot of paperwork to be done. Thankfully, as the future Voice of Night Vale, Cecil was exempt from all that, and Carlos was his guest after all.

“Cecil!” Old Woman Josie called excitedly in her thick New York accent. “Come here and gimme a kiss!”

Cecil obliged, Carlos trailing awkwardly behind him.  

“I haven’t seen you in _forever_ ,” she said. “I heard about the thing with the Void. Real bad luck, hon. How you holding up?”

He shrugged and shot a look at Carlos who was standing a few feet behind him, clearly unsure of where he was supposed to look. “I’m okay.”

She lowered her voice. “You can always come stay with me for a while, babe. If you’re finding it hard on your own. You’re only a kid, honey, don’t forget that.”

“I’m fifteen.”

She laughed. “To me, you’re practically an infant. They don’t call me Old Woman Josie for nothing.” Actually, people had been calling her Old Woman Josie since before she was born – it was a family name, after all – but Cecil didn’t want to get on her bad side.

“I’m okay.”

“Okay. But if things ever get too hard, don’t forget I’ve got a spare room… You going to the diner?”

Cecil nodded.

“Don’t eat too much, I’m bringing you over a casserole tonight.” She raised her voice to a stage whisper. “Who’s your _friend_?”

Carlos stepped forwards, blushing. “I’m Carlos. I know Cecil from school. I’m new.”

Old Woman Josie looked him up and down, first stepping back to size him up and then forwards to get a closer look. “Huh,” was her verdict.

“Huh?” Cecil asked.

“You’re a lot shorter than Cecil’s boy scout friend,” she told Carlos. “But I didn’t like his hair. Yours is much nicer.”

“We’re not _that type_ of friends!” Cecil cut in. “We’re just friends. Friend friends.” _Unfortunately_ , he did not add.

“Ah,” she said. “Do forgive me.” She looked at Cecil curiously as if she knew what he wasn’t saying. She probably did. “You two enjoy your lunch. Take a flyer.”

 

***

 

Cecil couldn’t remember walking into the diner or taking his seat but suddenly here he and Carlos were, sitting across from one another at one of the booths, the kind that were always occupied by couples on Friday nights and weekends. Cecil had always scoffed at them until last year when he had become one of them. This being one thirty on a weekday the place was empty except for a man in a strange tan coloured jacket sitting by himself in a corner, the newspaper he was reading concealing his face. Cecil himself had many fond memories of one couch in particular, one that was a slight angle away from the rest of the room, offering a great deal of privacy, but now was not the time for thoughts like that.

“How did we get here?” Carlos asked. He looked confused, and, Cecil was concerned to note, maybe a little scared.

“We walked in and were escorted here,” he paused. “I mean, _probably_.”

“You don’t remember?”

“Of course not,” Carlos may have been beautiful but at time he was more than a little slow.

Carlos scanned the table. “They forgot to give us menus.”

“We already ordered, Carlos.”

“What? When?”

“When we sat down.”

“How do they know what we want?” Carlos was unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

“We _told them_.”

“That makes no sense.”

Sure enough, moments later two large vanilla milkshakes appeared on the table in front of them. “See? It’s quite a simple concept, really, Carlos.”

"Wow," Carlos said. "That is what I wanted... Hey, Ceec -" Carlos looked conflicted, as though he knew what he wanted to say but wasn’t sure how appropriate it was to do so.

“What’s wrong?” he thrilled at the nickname.  _Ceec_. Perfect and glorious Carlos just called him  _Ceec_. 

“Can I... ask you something?”

“Anything, dear Carlos.” Cecil’s heart was beating fast and out of control, like a drummer trying frantically to stay in time with a piece of ever increasing tempo; what could Carlos want to ask him? He dared not hope that it was - 

“What’s the Void?”

Cecil felt his insides freeze. “Oh. _That_.” He swallowed. “No one _really_ knows what the Void is, Carlos. It’s nothing. It’s also everything. Mostly you just try and stay away but sometimes it sneaks up on you. Just don’t look at it and you’ll be fine.”

“ _Okayyy_ ,” Carlos said. “I don’t mean to pry, Ceec, but I’ve heard people saying stuff so I just wanted to know, well, what do _you_ have to do with the Void?”

Cecil struggled to keep his voice level. “What kind of stuff?”

“Just stuff.”

“ _Carlos_.”

“Not bad stuff!” Carlos said quickly. “Just… stuff.”

“Okay,” Cecil leaned back against the cool fabric of the cushion and shut his eyes. He took a deep breath. “How about this: you tell me what you’ve heard. And then I’ll tell you what’s true.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. Well, that was... interesting. 
> 
> Comments? Questions? Want to come hang out on the internet? You can find me on [tumblr](http://tockwhoticks.tumblr.com/).


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